


A Not Unpleasant Surprise

by SouthernContinentSkies



Series: Demisexual Gregor verse [2]
Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Demisexual!Gregor, Exploration, Imperial Service Academy, M/M, Time Period: Vorkosigan Regency, mostly straight!Henri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 00:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21290972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SouthernContinentSkies/pseuds/SouthernContinentSkies
Summary: “He wasn’t eighteen anymore, kissing Henri on a whim in the cadet barracks because it was what people seemed to do.”(from An Acceptably Secure Prospect)
Relationships: Gregor Vorbarra/Henri Vorvolk
Series: Demisexual Gregor verse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1534823
Comments: 7
Kudos: 43





	A Not Unpleasant Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my tumblr.

The kiss was an impulse that he regretted immediately. When he pulled back, Henri was staring at him.

“I’m sorry!” said Gregor immediately, and a bit desperately. “I just… um…”

“No, I, er,” said Henri, startled into silence but not rudeness, because this was Henri.

They stared at each other for a moment.

“I had no idea,” said Henri slowly, “that you, er…”

“I don’t!” said Gregor, miserably. “It’s just… I don’t, ever.”

“Er,” said Henri. “For the sake of clarification, Gregor, I’m sorry, but I think we need some nouns. Or verbs. Or… something. I was going to say, ‘I had no idea you were interested.’ Either in me, or, well, in men generally.”

“I’m not,” said Gregor. “That’s what I meant. I’m not interested.”

“Alright,” said Henri slowly. “But then why -”

“Because it’s something that people are supposed to be interested in!”

“Er,” said Henri, again. “Gregor, I know you must have learned about, um, this sort of thing, from a Betan, but on Barrayar it’s not actually that common to, well… you know. Despite what they say about the Academy.”

“I don’t mean people are supposed to be interested in men,” said Gregor, keeping his voice just on this side of a whine. “I mean, they’re supposed to be interested in _people._ And I’m not.”

“Oh,” said Henri. “But, wait, never? Not even Lady Donna?”

Gregor shot him a confused look. “Donna Vorrutyer? Why would I be interested in her? Were you?”

“No, she’s terrifying,” said Henri immediately. “But, er, at prep school, some of the boys had pictures of her. Not lewd pictures,” he added hastily. “Just a normal portrait, you know, with a dress on. But it was sort of a low-cut dress, as I recall, and she was already divorced… it gave her sort of an aura, I suppose.”

“An aura,” Gregor repeated, baffled, and then shook his head to clear it. “No, Henri, I really mean no one. Hearing people at prep school talk about that sort of thing was like listening to Professor Vorhovis summarize five-space math on the first day. I understood the words, but they didn’t add up to anything I recognized. They still don’t.”

Henri, as was usual when he had nothing in particular to say, said nothing, but merely looked at Gregor with moderate concern.

“And I suppose I just thought,” continued Gregor, only mildly distraught now, “that at least I like you, so it might not be a completely bizarre experience, and then maybe I could sort of… learn.”

“Learn,” repeated Henri, clearly also baffled. “Learn to like it, you mean?”

“Yes!” exclaimed Gregor. He was embarrassed, still, but if he didn’t get all the way through this now, he never would, and if he hadn’t told anyone else he might later have to tell Cordelia. “I have to get _married,_ Henri, to a _woman,_ who will probably want to have sex with me, or at least want me to want to have sex with _her,_ and I don’t even understand the concept!”

“Well, we can try, if you like,” said Henri matter-of-factly. “But I’m not sure it would translate to a woman.”

“No!” Gregor looked at Henri, and sighed. “Henri, you always do this - offer to do things you don’t actually want to do, just because it’s me. I have sixty million subjects, or I will in a year. What I _actually_ need is a friend.”

Henri looked back at him, seriously. “Friends can do things for each other too, Gregor,” he said quietly. “I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it. But alright; I can stop, if it bothers you.”

Gregor leaned his forehead on the heel of his hand, deflated. “I’m just tired, Henri. I’m tired of getting everything, except what I want.”

He felt a hand on his shoulder. “I know,” said Henri. And then he was kissing him.

When they drew apart this time, Henri was looking at him again, but not in surprise.

“Well?” he said. “Anything?”

“It… wasn’t unpleasant,” said Gregor carefully. “You’re… comfortable, I suppose. What about you?”

Henri shrugged. “About the same,” he said, with a small smile. “Shall we try again?”

The rest of the term was interesting. By graduation, Gregor thought he might have some idea of what people talked about, but he and Henri had decided that at least with each other, they preferred to play cards.


End file.
